"Thrall" by Carolyn Kizer is a poignant exploration of the complex relationship between a father and daughter, marked by emotional distance, discipline, and eventual reconciliation. Through stark imagery and a carefully constructed narrative, Kizer delves into themes of authority, expectation, and the longing for parental approval. The poem opens with a minimalist description of a room: "The room is sparsely furnished: / A chair, a table, and a father." This sparse setting symbolizes the austere and controlled environment in which the father exercises his authority. The father's presence is commanding, and the daughter's actions are dictated by his expectations. The time being "always just past lunch" suggests a routine, a monotonous cycle where the father's influence is ever-present. As the daughter tiptoes past her father, who is engrossed in his book and eating an apple, the father's irritation is evident when he hears her "asthmatic breathing." This moment encapsulates the father's intolerance for imperfection and the daughter's acute awareness of her intrusion into his world. The father's focus on reading, "for years without looking up / Until your childhood is safely over," illustrates his detachment from the messiness and emotions of childhood. His strict adherence to order and discipline leaves little room for affection or understanding. The poem progresses to depict the father's eventual satisfaction with his daughter's transformation into what he considers a "finished product." The use of the term "finished product" dehumanizes the daughter, reducing her to an achievement rather than an individual with emotions and experiences. It is only at this point that the father is "ready to love you!" This delayed affection is bittersweet, as it comes only after the daughter has conformed to his standards. The daughter, now conditioned to silence and duty, acquiesces to her father's desires "in the voice reserved / For reading Keats." This reference to Keats, a poet known for his romanticism and idealism, contrasts sharply with the father's rigid demeanor. The daughter's compliance is rooted in her training to avoid reproach, and she becomes a source of pride for the father, who "will boast of you to strangers." In the later part of the poem, the setting shifts to a smaller room where the father, now older and weaker, lies on a bed. Shadows fall on "the bed, the books, the father," signifying the passage of time and the approach of the father's end. The daughter, fulfilling her filial duty, reads aloud to him "La Belle Dame sans Merci," a poem about unfulfilled love and longing. This choice of poem reflects the daughter's complex emotions toward her father—love mixed with a sense of loss and longing for a deeper connection. The daughter's role now includes feeding her father his medicine and expressing love, actions that blend care with the unspoken burden of duty. She waits for his eyes to close, signaling his final rest, so she can write this poem. This act of writing becomes a form of liberation for the daughter, a way to process and articulate her experience and emotions. "Thrall" is a powerful meditation on the dynamics of a father-daughter relationship shaped by discipline and delayed affection. Kizer's use of vivid imagery and careful pacing captures the emotional nuances and the unspoken tensions that define their interaction. The poem ultimately portrays the daughter's journey from compliance to self-expression, highlighting the enduring impact of parental expectations and the struggle for personal identity within the confines of familial duty. |